Agents of Repression: Egypt’s Police and the Case for Reform

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Amnesty International has closely monitored the human rights situation in Egypt for decades, under former President Mubarak as well as under the 16-month transitional rule of the SCAF following the 2011 uprising. This report, finalized in early September 2012, focuses on the behaviour of the police forces, in particular the CSF, the General Investigations Police and the SSI/NSA.

By focusing on several incidents and individual cases, it highlights patterns of serious breaches of human rights by police in Egypt to underline the case for police reform in Egypt. Events linked to protests in Mohamed Mahmoud Street in Cairo, the aftermath of football clashes in Port Said, and an altercation by Nile City Towers involving Cairo slum-dwellers show the continuing violations by the CSF when dealing with demonstrations or public unrest. Cases of torture and other ill-treatment highlight the abuses committed by the other two police forces responsible for internal security. This report does not cover human rights violations by the military police or the army; these are documented in Amnesty International’s report, Brutality unpunished and unchecked: Egypt’s military kill and torture protesters with impunity, also published in October 2012.

Much of this report is based on interviews carried out in Egypt by Amnesty International delegates with victims of violations and their relatives, lawyers, doctors, human rights activists and organizations, and journalists as well as individuals who witnessed police violence. Amnesty International is grateful to all these people for the time and information they provided.